ESPN Audio, USGA Agree On Broadcast Rights For 2010, 2011 U.S. Opens

Far Hills, N.J., & Bristol, Conn. (March 11) – ESPN Audio and the United States Golf Association have announced an agreement granting ESPN Audio exclusive rights to present play-by-play coverage of the 2010 and 2011 U.S. Open Championships on its various media platforms.

The deal provides ESPN Audio live hole-by-hole coverage rights for the United States, its territories and possessions, and Canada, as well as the right to distribute content via any and all means of audio distribution, including terrestrial radio, satellite radio, HD radio, broadband and wireless audio platforms.

The 2010 U.S. Open Championship will be played June 17-20 at Pebble Beach (Calif.) Golf Links and marks ESPN Audio’s initial foray into golf play-by-play. The 2011 U.S. Open Championship will be played June 16-19 at Congressional Country Club in Bethesda, Md.

“We are so pleased to partner with ESPN Radio in connection with our efforts to bring the U.S. Open to as many fans of the game as possible and in as many ways as possible,” said Peter Bevacqua, chief business officer of the USGA. “We are also looking forward to working with ESPN to provide on-site radio coverage that will benefit and improve the overall experience of our championship spectators.”

“We look forward to presenting the U.S. Open to our fans, affiliates and advertisers, and to adding one of golf’s majors to our other top-shelf event programming, including the NBA and The Finals, MLB and the World Series, and the BCS and its championship,” said Mo Davenport, senior vice president of ESPN Audio. “ESPN Audio will utilize its expertise across all of our platforms, from the standard terrestrial broadcast to podcast offerings, allowing fans to enjoy the U.S. Open wherever and whenever they want.”

ESPN Radio will broadcast six hours each of Thursday’s and Friday’s rounds, and a minimum of four-and-a-half hours each of Saturday’s and Sunday’s rounds, including complete 18-hole coverage of each weekend day’s final group. If a playoff is needed, ESPN Radio will also broadcast the entire 18 holes on Monday.

Additionally, ESPN Radio will produce a preview special and post-championship studio programs, and present live updates on its SportsCenter reports, which air three times per hour. ESPNRadio.com will feature the U.S. Open Championship leader board.

Championship updates, player interviews and the leader board will be featured on ESPN Deportes Radio and ESPNDeportes.com.

U.S. Open Championship play-by-play and studio content will also be simulcast on ESPNRadio.com and other digital audio platforms, with some content available in podcast form.

Spectators attending the U.S. Open will be able to hear ESPN Audio’s coverage via devices distributed by the USGA.

About ESPN Radio

ESPN Radio is the country's largest sports radio network, providing more than 9,000 hours of talk and event content annually to more than 750 stations, including owned stations in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Dallas and Pittsburgh, and more than 350 full-time affiliates. ESPN Radio event programming features the NBA (and The Finals), MLB (and the World Series) and college football’s BCS (and regular-season schedule) as well as the Kentucky Derby, the USGA’s U.S. Open, and this year’s 2010 FIFA World Cup. Weekday studio programming includes: Mike and Mike in the Morning (Mike Greenberg and Mike Golic), 6-10 a.m. ET; The Herd with Colin Cowherd, 10 a.m.-2 p.m.; The Scott Van Pelt Show (2-4 p.m.); and The Doug Gottlieb Show (4-7 p.m.).

Additionally, ESPNRadio.com is the most-listened-to sports radio destination online and most-listened-to digital audio stream in the world, with an average of more than 420,000 monthly listeners and nearly 1.9 million total sessions per month. ESPN Radio content is also available via ESPN’s more than 100 podcasts on iTunes and ESPN’s PodCenter, which are downloaded an average of more than 9.2 million times per month.

The USGA and Chevron have committed to using the game of golf to encourage students in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) disciplines.
This commitment has led to the creation of extensive golf-focused STEM teaching tools, and has resulted in charitable contributions to support golf-related
programs through Eagles for Education

At U.S. Open Championships the Chevron STEM ZONE™ is an interactive experience highlighting the science and math behind the game of golf through a variety of hands-on exhibits and experiments.

The partnership has also produced educational materials such as the Science of Golf video series and a nationally-distributed newspaper insert which are provided to teachers as tools to enhance existing curriculum in schools. These lessons teach the science behind the USGA’s equipment testing, handicapping, and agronomy efforts.

Rolex has been a longtime supporter of the USGA and salutes the sportsmanship and great traditions unique to the game. This support includes the Rules of Golf where Rolex has partnered with the USGA to ensure golfers understand and appreciate the game.

As the official timekeeper of the USGA and its championships, they also provide clocks throughout host sites for spectator convenience.

IBM provides the information technology to develop and host the U.S. Open’s official website, www.usopen.com, as well as the mobile apps and scoring systems for the three U.S. Open championships. These real-time technology solutions provide an enhanced experience for fans following the championship onsite and online.

For more information on IBM and the technology that powers the U.S. Open and businesses worldwide, visit http://www.usopen.com/IBM

Lexus

Lexus is committed to partnering with the USGA to deliver a best-in-class experience for the world’s best golfers by providing a fleet of courtesy luxury vehicles for all USGA Championships.

At each U.S. Open, Women’s Open and Senior Open, Lexus provides spectators with access to unique experiences ranging from the opportunity to have a picture taken with both the U.S. Open and U.S. Women’s Open trophies to autograph signings with legendary Lexus Golf Ambassadors in the Lexus Performance Drive Pavilion.

Together, American Express and the USGA have been providing world-class service to golf fans since 2006. By creating interactive U.S. Open experiences both onsite and online, American Express enhances the USGA’s effort to make the game more accessible and enjoyable for fans.